"Blessed is the man [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper"

CHAPTER 5: WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF “CHRIST LIVES IN ME”?

Here is a wonderful revelation which was locked up in the heart of God for centuries and hidden from the hearts of Old Testament worthies.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory”

That is “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to his saints…” – to you, my brother and sister – ”which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:26-27). What a stupendous thought, transcending our finite comprehension! The Christ of God – “in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” – condescends to live within the redeemed spirit of a man (Col. 2:9).

We can conceive of him as God incarnate, born in the manger, and living as a Man amongst men; we can think of his filling the whole universe with his majesty and glory; we can conceive of his occupying the heavens with all the celestial creation in unquestioning subjection to him, but to think that He actually condescends to come down and dwell within ME, a worm of the dust, is truly beyond human understanding! In fact it can only be appreciated and realized to any degree by divine revelation (Gal. 1:16). The Holy Spirit causes the indwelling Savior to become a blessed, living reality. “At that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (Jn. 14:20). The Lord Jesus also pronounces that the Holy Spirit “dwells with you, and will be in you” (14:17).

This wonderful mystery introduces us to the fact that the Lord Jesus still lives in this world. Although He now resides in a “body” that is different from that local, physical one in which He moved during those 33 years, He continues his incarnation. You remember how He looked forward, on one occasion, to the time when this great purpose should become an accomplished fact: “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished” (Lk. 12:50).

Although such a mighty and gracious purpose would necessarily involve the sufferings of Calvary and the death of the cross, the Lord Jesus anticipated “the joy that was set before him” when, through that mighty atonement, a glorious release of divine life would become possible (Hb. 12:2).

Since the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2), and down through this age of grace, the primary purpose of God centers round the formation of this new Body, which is the Church (Col. 1:24), a spiritual house composed of living stones (1 P. 2:5), i.e. all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Wherever a soul has come to the “fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness”, finding peace of heart and life eternal, there is an earthly manifestation of the very life of Jesus (Zech. 13:1). To every heart open to him the Lord Jesus says, “I will come in” (Rev. 3:20). This heavenly treasure takes up residence in earthly vessels (2 Co. 4:7). The body of every believer becomes a “temple” of the Holy Spirit and a vehicle of divine life. “Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Co. 13:5).

Now let us simply consider two great implications of this wonderful truth. If Christ dwells within you, then:

1) You Become Christ’s.The usurper’s authority has been annulled. The Lord Jesus, who claims you by right of creation and of redemption, has been given possession.

A boy made a boat one day from a rough piece of wood with his penknife. Having made it, he lost it. Some time afterwards, to his surprise, he saw this very boat in a shop window. He asked for it, but the shopkeeper claimed it as his own property and said that it could not be surrendered without payment. Putting down the necessary price the boy walked out with his precious boat once again in his possession, and looking down upon it said, “I made you, I lost you, I found you, I bought you; you are mine.”

So the Lord Jesus redeems his property from the adversary (1 P. 1:18-19). Of every sinner saved by grace He says, “I created you, I lost you through sin, I found you in your need, I bought you by blood; you are mine.” Yes, his residence implies the right of possession.

Your are not your own (1 Co. 6:20). All that you have and are belong to him. Your body with all its members, your faculties, your talents, your time, your money, your possessions, your heart, your will – all are his! Your very face becomes his to show forth his beauty and glory. Do you remember how the face of Moses shone with the glow of heaven after he had ascended the mountain and into God’s presence (Ex. 34:29)? This should ever be one of the manifestations of the glorified life. A long-faced Christian is a slander on the joy of the Lord. Victory and joy always go together (Is. 12).

Your eyes become his to exhibit his sympathy and tenderness. He wants to look on the world’s need through your eyes (Jn. 4:35). A Christian should realize this and never lend his eyes to the devil. They belong to the Lord. What a difference it makes when you see things from his point of view!

“Heaven above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green,
Something lives in every hue
Christless eyes have never seen;
Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,
Flowers with deeper beauty shine,
Since I know – as now I know -
I am His and He is mine.”

Let us yield our eyes to him. In the vilest sinner we shall see a potential saint. You will not see the speck in your brother’s eye without discovering that it is the reflection of the plank in your own (Mt. 7:3). Be careful how you use your eyes. They are his; let him control your vision.

Your lips become his to speak his messages (Col. 4:6). This means that the harsh, unkind word remains unspoken. Others will marvel at the “gracious words” from your mouth – even under provocation (Luke 4:22). “No man ever spoke like this man” (Jn. 7:46) was the testimony of his enemies, and this is the Man who lives within you.

In that ministry, to which the Lord has called you, remember that you are only the instrument for the expression of his message. It is not what you say for him that counts, but what He says through you (Is. 55:11). That makes a difference. His words are spirit and life (Jn. 6:63). The Word going forth out of his mouth cannot return unto him void.

Remember, your lips are his. Never lend them to the devil. What havoc has been wrought in many a church and many a life by the cruel gossip and the talebearer (Pr. 18:8)!

Your ears become his ears. They will be sensitive of every cry of spiritual need. The Savior heard the cry of Bartimeus above the din of the crowd, and in selfless compassion He “stood still” (Mk. 10:46-50), even though his suffering on the cross was imminent. This same Savior lives in you and wants to hear the plaintive cry of the world’s need through your ears (Ps. 102:20). Tune in to the bleating of the lost sheep that the Lord would rescue through you.

Never lend your ears to the devil. “Take heed what you hear” (Mk. 4:24). Refuse to hear the voice of the tempter or give your sanction to the spread of false reports and idle rumor concerning others. Your ears are his. As the Lord Jesus was constantly in touch with the Father, so there may be in your life that intimate fellowship with God which enables you to catch his communications day be day.

“No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.”

Your mind becomes his, to think his thoughts. It becomes the very “mind of Christ,” because He thinks through you. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). Cultivate spiritual thinking. This is the secret of true spiritual discernment, and never was there a day when the Church was in such great need of the Holy Spirit’s discernment.

Your intellect becomes his that He may plan through you, in order that you might be an instrument for the realization of his purpose. Surrender your mind to him that you may know his secrets and be kept in the current of his will (Ps. 25:14). Never lend your mind to the devil. The mind is his favorite avenue of attack. If the “garrison” of the mind is captured, the whole “citadel” falls.

A realization of the indwelling Christ and a surrender of your mind and thoughts to him, is the only remedy for unwholesome thinking and carnal judgments. “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober” (1 P. 1:13).

Your hands become his to act on his impulse. He will work through you. Again, it is not what you do for him that counts, but what He does through you (Jn. 5:36). Only that activity which is directly in the line of his divine purpose is effective for the kingdom of God. All action is not unction. All endowment is not enduement.

Your hands are his. Give them up. Allow him full use of them, and He will perform his works through your instrumentality. Never lend your hands to the devil. Even Christian hands may commit sin if they slip out of the control of the indwelling Christ.

Your feet become his – to walk in his way. The Christian’s walk is the very walk of Christ. “Walk in love…” “Walk circumspectly…” (Eph. 5:2, 15). “No longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk…” (4:17). The feet of the Christian must tread the narrow path the Savior trod, and keep in step with him throughout the earthly “pilgrimage” (Gn. 5:24).

Do you see the simple implications of this? In a sentence, you are his. Allow him to take full possession. Surrender your members to his control. Invite him to allocate your time as his own (Eph. 5:16). Allow him to control your money as his own (Mt. 25:18). Let him sanction your expenditure and look after your income. He can be trusted. Allow him full control of your talents, zeal, and ability with his own resurrection life. You are his by purchase at infinite cost.

Allow him complete right-of-way through the whole territory of your being – without reserve, without regret, and without retreat. He does not want apartments in your house. He claims the whole building, from the attic at the top to the cellar at the bottom. That is the life of victory. Have you invited him into every room? What about that sitting room? Does He control that? Is He consulted as to the periods of rest and leisure? What of the reception room and the area of your friendships (Ps. 119:63)? Are your friends his friends? What about the workroom and the sphere of your service? Does He control your activities and general program? What about the office? Is He allowed to dictate as to finances? What about the study? Is your reading governed by his tastes (1 Ti. 4:13)? What about the recreation room? Is your recreation consecrated to the Lord, and are your earthly pleasures sanctified by his sweet presence? Oh, let us surrender the whole house to him. Is He not worthy of it? Why should we deprive him of what is his?

A reserved compartment in your heart, however small, provides capital for the enemy to work spiritual havoc and rob the believer of victory.
Before we pass on to the next phase of this chapter, will you not get to your knees and say again from your heart, “Lord, I surrender all; I give you the last key?”

“Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.”

The next simple fact of blessing is that:

2) Christ Becomes Yours. If the fact that you become his implies his possession, then the truth that He becomes yours implies your possession. Have you ever quietly thought this out? Christ is yours!

Jesus is mine; yes, He is mine -
Through sunshine and gladness,
Through sorrow and sadness;
Jesus is mine; yes, He is mine -
Forever and ever, my Savior divine.

This means:

a) His Life Becomes Your Life. “Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). “To me, to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). “Because I live, you will live also” (Jn. 14:19). As we have seen, this touches the very vitals of victorious Christian living. The Lord Jesus is not your Helper only; He is your very life. The victorious Christian life is simply the life of the victorious Christ (Ro. 5:10). There is only one Person in the wide universe who can live such a life, and that is Christ Himself. It is his life. Since Christ lives in you, however, such a life becomes possible through a human personality. Is this your conception of the Christian life? You cannot get victory by trying to live for Jesus. That is the popular way; but very disappointing in its results. Rather it is Jesus living his life in you, and that is a very different proposition. The victorious life is his business, not yours. Renouncing the self life gives him right-of-way to make your heart his palace and his royal throne.

In yourself you cannot live such a life, any more than I can live the life of the Prince of Wales. I have not been born into the Royal Family. If it were possible, however, for the Prince of Wales to clothe himself with my body and live his life in me, then I could live his life. Do you see that? Christ IN you makes victory possible. Christ said, “Without me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). Therefore, what is the use of trying? No amount of effort can accomplish it. A little girl was stirring her tea furiously and exclaiming, “It’s no use, mommy, it won’t get sweet.” And then her mother realized that she had forgotten to put the sugar in! No amount of stirring could make such tea sweet! Yes, his life is your life.

b) His Power Becomes Your Power. This is the power and authority you need. He says, “All authority has been given to me… Go therefore…” (Mt. 28:18-19). Why? Because He lives in you and places his authority at your disposal. You are his instrument, and utterly powerless and helpless apart from him. He is the great Overcomer (Jn. 16:33). At Calvary, He demonstrated his mighty authority and supremacy over death and Hell, and now He lives in you. His power alone can see you through. Invite him to ride in triumph through your “little city”, or… face the foe in your own puny strength and you will surely be defeated.

I heard of a speaker who made this point clear to his boy listeners by inviting them all to try and make a pencil stand on its point. Their effort, of course, was unsuccessful, and then he said, “Watch me, and I will show you how to do it”. Putting the pencil point downwards on a book, and keeping his finger on the top, he said, “There you are; it is standing on it point”. “Oh, but you are holding it”, they said. “Yes”, he replied, “and that is how the Christian stands; he is held and kept by the power of God”. That is a simple illustration, but vital in its application. He is able to keep you from falling (Jd. 24), and only as you remain in him are you safe. Lose contact with him and you fail.
This brings us to the next great fact that:

c) His Victory Becomes Your Victory. Remember, therefore, the triumphant Christian does not fight for victory, but celebrates a victoryalready won. This is an important distinction. Have you read 2 Corinthians 2:14 as Conybeare translates it? “Thanks be unto God who leads me on from place to place in the train of his triumph to celebrate his victory over the enemies of Jesus Christ.” What a magnificent conception of life! – to “celebrate his victory”! Because He has conquered, you may be “more than conqueror” (Ro. 8:37). The victory is already won; rejoice in that! All your enemies have been overcome, and the risen, triumphant Lord demonstrates his triumph through those who are joined to him. With Christ God has given you “all things” (8:32).

Imagine a boy returning home after watching his school play football. He shouts to his father, “We won today!” His father turns to him in surprise and says, “We, you say?” “And what did you do towards it?” The boy replies that he did nothing except watch. Yes, and yet he was right – “WE won!” Somebody else fought the fight. The representative team took the field and won the day, and since this boy belonged to the school, he shared in the victory.

No wonder that one man replied as he did when after his conversion he was asked whether he had the mastery over the devil. “No,” he said, “but I have de Master – He lives in my heart.” That is magnificent theology! Yes, He has become yours. All that He possesses is at your disposal (1 Co. 3:21). His victory is your victory.

Have you heard about the little girl who had a very bad temper? After her conversion, she never again gave in to her temper, and one day she was asked the reason. Her reply was simple and to this effect, “Before the Lord Jesus came into my heart, the devil would knock at the door, and when I went to the door he would push his way in; but now the Lord Jesus has come in, and whenever the devil knocks, I say, “‘Lord, you go and open the door,’ and when the devil sees the Lord Jesus at the door, he sees somebody who is more than a match for him, and he passes on saying, ‘Excuse me, I must have come to the wrong house.’” Yes, that is it – Christ IN you.

You are his, and He is yours, and all He asks is for your honest cooperation day be day and moment by moment in his will and purpose for your life. You must decrease, He must increase (Jn. 3:30). The last gasp of the self-life will be the first breath of the new. Little wonder is it that the apostle finds his vocabulary limited to describe such an amazing truth, and speaks of “the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).

I remember hearing of a violinist who came upon the stage one day and gave a wonderful performance. In the midst of the thunderous applause which followed, he did a most extraordinary thing. Lifting his violin high above his head he brought it down with a crash upon a chair and broke it in pieces. The audience listened spellbound for an explanation. “Yesterday,” he said, “I gave a few dollars for that instrument.”

Then he disappeared for a few moments and came back with his own violin, an instrument of priceless worth for which he would have exchanged nothing in the world. Again he commenced to play, the same beautiful music, the same exquisite harmony, and only the most highly skilled ear could detect the difference.

You see it was not the instrument that mattered, but the master hand that held it. Remember, you are Christ’s and He is yours. Allow his free control of the instrument, and even though you may be conscious of many human limitations, He will bring forth music out of your life. As He places his pierced hands across those human chords, there will emanate a harmony that will cheer his own heart and bring blessing to the multitudes!

In Romania, there is a certain valley where they grow nothing but roses for the Vienna market, and the perfume of that valley in the time of the rose crop is such that if you go into it for a few minutes, wherever you go for the rest of the day, people know that you have been there. So may others take knowledge of us as we emanate the fragrance of the indwelling Christ.

Study Guide

What mystery is revealed to New Covenant believers (Col. 1:27)?

How can this truth affect your life of discipleship?

What is the primary purpose of God in this age — through the ministry of the Holy Spirit?

Name two great implications of Christ dwelling in you.

How does Wallis relate the implications of the indwelling Christ to be the believer’s daily living?

Which of the six parts of bodily surrender are most needed in your life?

What are three implications of the blessing: “Christ becomes yours”?

Summarize the illustration about the Prince of Wales.

How did a speaker illustrate the need for Christ’s power by using a pencil?

How did a young girl appropriate Christ’s victory over her bad temper?

Pray or write a prayer expressing your decision to allow Christ to live his life through you (Gal. 2:20).